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Essential medicines and health products

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Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Initiative

About MeTA

The MeTA initiative aims to improve access to quality-assured essential medicines in low-income countries through a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving representatives of the public sector, the private sector and civil society. Participating countries include Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, the Philippines, Uganda and Zambia.

Multi-stakeholder groups have been formed to collect and share data on the selection, procurement, quality, availability, pricing, promotion and use of medicines. The data and evidence collected is analysed and used to support policy dialogue and to advise and recommend actions that improve access to medicines. The initiative was piloted in 2008-10 and has now entered its second phase, MeTA Phase 2 which is taking place during 2011-2015.

WHO support to MeTA

WHO collaborates with Health Action International (HAI) on the management of the initiative in the International MeTA Support (IMS) group. The IMS provides countries with administrative guidance, technical guidance, budget and workplan approval, allocation of funding, financial oversight, and monitoring of implementation. WHO provides the leadership for:

Improving existing tools and developing new methodologies for collection and analysis of pharmaceutical data;

Training and advising on data collection, management and analysis and on medicines policy formulation, dialogue and implementation;

Development of medicines and transparency policy guidance and best practices.

WHO works to expand and strengthen the network of experts in medicines transparency who can contribute to the initiative. In addition, WHO advocates for the initiative and for transparency principles globally and in country. Medicines advisors from WHO country offices participate on MeTA Councils as observers and provide technical to support MeTA.

MeTA at country level

Medicines Transparency Alliance Global Meeting

Representatives from participating countries from the public and private sectors, civil society and WHO shared experiences in improving access to quality essential medicines through improved transparency in the pharmaceutical sector.